Mat-Su Borough Emergency Preparedness

DRILL - Castle Mountain Quake DRILL

Castle Mountain Earthquake

Patty Sullivan
April 26, 2010 Public Affairs Director

(This is an exercise) Mat-Su responding to 8.5 earthquake (DRILL)

12:30 p.m. MAT-SU—Mat-Su Borough Manager John Duffy signed a disaster declaration early this afternoon.

“We are bringing all our resources to bear so we can respond to this disaster and coordinate with other local, state and federal agencies,” Duffy said.

Extreme damage is reported south of Palmer, Knik-Fairview, Big Lake, Meadow Lakes,
Here is a roundup of information to date:
All bridges are closed north and south of Anchorage on the Glenn Highway.

Three shelters are set up in the Mat-Su: Upper Susitna Valley Senior Center, Menard Sports Center, and the 7th Day Adventist Church on the Glenn Highway.

Joint Information Center for Borough-wide information call 761-7540.

SCHOOLS
Palmer Junior Middle School evacuated to United Protestant Presbyterian Church in Palmer. No injuries.
Other schools report in safe shape. No injuries.

PETS
Three sites for pets, Animal Shelter, Mat-Su Regional Medical Center,
Menard Sports Center, Willow Community Center.

PALMER
Palmer City is reporting 70 buildings damaged. Palmer has a hotline: 745-5555.
12 homes damaged, no collapses
6 commercial buildings damaged, no collapses
1 Palmer city structure with severe damage
Waste Water Treatment Plant had damage and is shut down. Residents nearby should evacuate to 7th Day Adventist shelter on the Glenn Highway.

The Borough building, Dorothy Swanda Jones building, has been damaged and was evacuated.
The Sears building in Wasilla has collapsed. It was evacuated with no injuries.

WASILLA
The city is assessing city buildings. Wasilla has a hotline: 373-5555. Please call for a building evaluation.

No tsunami threat is expected, according to the Tsunami Warning Center.

The Mat-Su experienced a long aftershock at 11:23 a.m.

Please do not call 911 unless it is to report emergencies.
If you want to help. Tomorrow at 9 a.m. report to fire station 6-5 on Seward Meridian Pkwy. To be part of a volunteer team.

Multiple aftershocks are occurring. Reports of damage are coming in. The Emergency Operations Center is set up to manage the expected disaster and protect lives.

If you suspect your drinking water is unsafe, the Dept. of Environmental Conservation advises you to drink bottled water.

For more information call Public Information Officer Patty Sullivan at 373-5378.

(This is an exercise)

-end-

(This is an exercise) Mat-Su responding to 8.5 earthquake (DRILL)

MAT-SU—Emergency responders with the Matanuska-Susitna Borough activated the Emergency Operations Center this morning in response to an 8.5 earthquake that occurred at 9 a.m. and was centered some 30 miles west of Anchorage.

Multiple aftershocks are occurring. Reports of damage are coming in. The Emergency Operations Center is set up to manage the expected disaster and protect lives.

More information will be posted on the Emergency Preparedness page at http://www.msbgov.us/eoc

For more information call Public Information Officer Patty Sullivan at 373-5378.

(This is an exercise)

How many earthquakes do we have in Alaska?

Daily = 50-100
Weekly = 400-700
Monthly = 1500-3000
Yearly = 24000

This accounts for approximately 11% of the world's earthquakes and 52% of all earthquakes in the U.S. Alaska has more seismicity than any other region in North America and is by far the most seismically active state in the U.S.

Click here to see Alaska and the borough's latest earthquakes

The key to surviving any disaster is PLANNING.

Consider this when creating your family's earthquake plan:

The time of day
Location of family members at the time
The type of structure
Utilities that supply that structure

Securing Your Structure(s):

Step 1- Foundation

Find out if your house is bolted to its foundation. If your house was built after 1935, chances are it is. If your home is older, you can have your house inspected and install bolts if necessary.

Step 2 - Chimney

Make sure your chimney is soundly attached to the structure of your home. Collapsing chimneys are one extremely dangerous outcome of an earthquake. If your home was built before 1960, you may have to have it reinforced.

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